"Who's scared of you? I have a lesson to teach you for speaking ill about my brother," Malus snapped back, accepting the challenge.
As the two strongest people in the class, their duel quickly attracted the attention of their other classmates.
Lyra used a regular one-handed sword with a shield.
Malus used a spear.
All the equipment used for sparring was made out of wood, and their edges were blunt.
The duel began as usual, with Lyra attempting to close the distance while Malus utilized his footwork and the reach of his spear to exploit any openings he saw.
This wasn't their first spar.
Given that Lyra wielded a shield, their battles typically turned into highly technical and drawn-out affairs.
But today, something unexpected happened.
About 30 seconds into the fight, Malus feinted and tried to circle around her. Lyra, attempting to pivot and keep him in front of her, suddenly felt an obstruction.
Her feet wouldn't move for a brief moment.
Unlike the regular sparring area with its smooth floors, their current venue was covered in thick grass.
Thrown off balance, Lyra couldn't recover in time. Malus landed a solid hit near her left elbow.
Though the wooden spear wasn't sharp, the impact stung and would undoubtedly leave a bruise. The blow also caused her to fall.
For the first time in a long while, their spar ended quickly—and not in her favor.
Lyra closed her eyes for a few seconds, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. She understood what had happened and already had a suspicion of what was about to follow.
"Winner: Malus!" the teacher declared.
Lyra rose to her feet under the surprised gazes of her classmates.
Her expression turned cold as she locked eyes with Astarion.
"How shameless must you be to interfere in a match between two people who aren't even cultivators yet?" she said icily.
"You cheated! I know you have an affinity with the Wood element. You used it to discreetly restrict my movements."
Malus was the first to explode. "And how shameless must you be to blame others for your own shortcomings?"
He sneered. "This isn't the first time you've lost to me. Stop embarrassing yourself."
At this point, the opinions among the students were divided. They didn't know who to believe.
Finally, Astarion spoke. "I must say, I'm disappointed to see how the Goldhearts raise their young."
His tone carried a mockery thinly veiled with faux concern. "This isn't the first time you've insulted me for no reason. Even if you don't trust me, your teacher here has a much higher cultivation level than mine. Don't you think he would've noticed if I'd used Qi?"
The young students, unfamiliar with the deeper politics of powerful families, were swayed by his argument. Many began to lean toward his side.
As if on cue, the teacher added, "…He's right, Lyra. I didn't detect any use of Qi. Perhaps it's just a bad day for you."
He added, "The school day is about to end anyway. Go to the infirmary before heading home."
Lyra's suspicions solidified. Her glare shifted to the teacher, icy and unyielding.
"Don't think you'll get away with this. You're forgetting your place."
Her words sent a chill through the teacher. For a moment, his composure faltered. But he steadied himself, he had been promised protection.
Without another word, Lyra turned and left. Some of her friends followed, concerned for her well-being.
The rest of the students, entertained by the drama, resumed sparring once the scene had cleared.
Lyra, however, didn't head to the infirmary. She went straight to the Goldheart Estate, directly to her room.
There, once she was alone, the tears she had fought so hard to contain finally flowed. She had never experienced such humiliation before.
* * *
Back to the present…
Standing in the hallway illuminated by the setting sun, Caelum knocked on the door to Lyra's room.
"Lyra, it's me! Are you there?"
"Big Brother? Wait a second!"
Two seconds later, the door was opened by Lyra's personal maid, Zayla.
"Welcome, Young Master," she greeted him.
Caelum nodded to her and entered the room.
The first thing that caught his attention was the rolled-up sleeve of Lyra's dress.
'A bruise?' Caelum's eyes narrowed.
On a nearby table was a medi-kit that hadn't been fully used yet.
Once cultivators became capable of using Qi, they could swallow and circulate the energy of alchemical pills to heal minor injuries. Wealthy mortals, however, used medi-kits. These were similar to first aid kits but more effective due to the magical nature of their medicines.
"What happened?" Caelum asked directly, wasting no time.
Due to assimilating his predecessor's memories, Caelum had some genuine feelings for his family—mostly for Lyra and his parents. Although Pascal's takeover dulled those feelings to a large degree, they were still present.
"No-nothing? I just fell and hurt myself," Lyra stammered, her statement only half true.
Caelum stared at her silently, his piercing gaze demanding the truth.
Zayla, standing near the door, broke the silence. "Someone seems to have bullied the Young Miss at school."
Lyra lowered her head, and tears spilled from her eyes once more. She didn't want Caelum to know.
"Zaylaaa!" she cried, her voice a mix of frustration and sorrow.
"Please forgive my presumptuousness, Young Miss," Zayla said, her tone anything but apologetic.
Minutes passed.
Lyra narrated her story while Zayla tended to her wound, and Caelum listened intently.
Once she finished, Caelum, who had been sitting on Lyra's bed, stood up.
"I see," he said simply.
He walked over to Lyra and patted her head, stroking her hair gently. Lyra leaned her head on Caelum's chest and closed her eyes. Even without words, she could sense his subdued rage.
It must be remembered that the tiny specks of gold in his eyes from the earlier hunt had not receded yet.
"You said that I wasn't spending enough time with you after I woke up, right? I've just been too busy with cultivation."
Why was he bringing it up now? Lyra already knew and understood Caelum's reasons.
"You don't have school on the weekend. Do you want to spend some time together? Maybe leave the estate and go out into the city?"
As soon as she heard those words, Lyra looked up, her eyes meeting Caelum's. Joy filled her heart, and she forgot all about her previous grievance.
With her head still resting against Caelum's chest, Lyra rubbed against it gently, moving up and down to indicate her assent.
Caelum grinned at her endearing gesture and said, "Okay, then. Be prepared."
Prepared for what exactly? She didn't know, nor did she ask.
After exchanging some lighthearted small talk, Caelum left her room.
The sky outside had darkened completely, save for the eerie glow of light emanating from the newly formed rift. It seemed the sun had fully set.
The hallway outside Lyra's room was bathed in a soft orange glow from the Qi-Lamps affixed to the walls.
As soon as he exited the room, Caelum encountered Elara.
"Follow me," she said, her tone firm, leading him away from Lyra's room.
Once they had gained some distance, Elara stopped and addressed him. She retrieved a talisman from her spatial ring.
"Hold out your hand," she instructed.
Caelum complied.
Elara placed the talisman on the back of his left hand. The talisman sank into his skin and disappeared without causing any discomfort.
"What was that?" he asked.
"A lifesaving treasure. I forgot to give you yours earlier," Elara explained. "It will teleport you to safety if your life is ever in danger. It's a one-time use item."
She paused before continuing, "Even though it isn't as valuable as your life, it is extraordinarily expensive. This was manufactured in the Cosmos, not in our minor realm."
"Don't rely on it too much," she warned.
'Manufactured in the Cosmos? That must mean the Temple of Light is supplying these here,' Caelum thought.
He nodded to his mother. "Alright, Mother. Thank you."
Elara ruffled his hair affectionately. "There's no need to thank me. All your siblings already have one."
Then, as if recalling something, she added, "Also, about this morning, don't take Valerius' words to heart. At your age, such things are common. The important thing is to learn and grow from them."
Caelum chose not to correct her misconception. His actions would speak louder than any words.
"By the way, Mother, do you know what happened with Lyra?"
"I do," Elara replied.
"And?"
"And nothing," she sighed. "Caelum, do you know how high my cultivation is? I can't intervene every time something trivial happens. You young people need to learn to resolve your problems on your own. It's better to face these challenges early rather than later."
Caelum showed no outward reaction to her words. He understood the real issue at hand—lack of evidence. He also had a clear understanding of the Goldheart family's immense power and influence. Compared to them, the Olof family was insignificant.
"Then, Mother, if it becomes evident that the Olof family is using cultivators from older generations to bully our younger members, the Goldheart family will step in, right?"
Elara smiled. "Yes."
Caelum smiled back. "Then, for this weekend, do me a favor…"